GREEK ARMY LAUNCHES ALL-OUT OFFENSIVE AGAINST REBELS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22669, 21 June 1948, Page 5

GREEK ARMY LAUNCHES ALL-OUT OFFENSIVE AGAINST REBELS

(N.Z.P.A.—Reuter— Copyright.) (10.30 a.m.) ATHENS, June 20, The Greek Army, launching an all-out offensive against the guerrillas, today threw in an estimated 70,000 troops, supported by artillery and planes, in the Mount Grammos area. ,

Seven thousand rebels, their main supply bases and General Markos’ headquarters are reported to be situated in this area of 1000 square miles, says the Associated Press correspondent. Greek Army troops are closing in on three sides on a line roughly from Konitza to Janina, then east to Grevena, then north to Kastoria. A military authority said the offensive was aimed at the destruction of all rebel forces in the Mount Grammos area. They constituted the main rebel group in Greece. The Greek General Staff with American advisers in the field is supervising the operations. The Air Force has been softening up the guerrillas for several days and two divisions have been in contact with guerrillas on the western side of the pocket for three days. A Greek General Staff communique given in an earlier message said that Spitfires, launched a heavy attack today on defence positions of guerrilla forces on Mount Grammos. Sixty-two guerrillas were killed yesterday in Western Macedonia. Attacks on guerrillas in other parts of Greece have been increased and coincide with the northern offensive. Attacks are taking place in the Peloponnese, near Mount Olympus, and along the Yugoslav and Bulgarian borders.